S46-6

Testing the Limits of a 3D Scanner on Various Artifacts in an Indian Lab

Sayan Sanyal1 & Parth R. Chauhan2

1Indian Institute of Technology Jodhpur, India

2Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Mohali, India

This paper elucidates the role of digital technologies in reconstructing archaeological artifacts. The role of 3D scanning, in this case, is one such protrusive advancement of technology that has eased the process of documentation and helps to analyze archaeological artifacts in a more delineated manner. The multiple protocols of this process could be understood when we tend to inherit a quest for humanistic inquiry by deconstructing the traditional materiality of archaeological practices. The use of 3D scanning has aided in various facets of archaeological research. In this paper, efforts have been put forward to analyze the various artifacts in an Indian lab of different time periods through 3D scanning. The process of 3D scanning helps analyse artifacts in a more detailed manner by documenting their smallest morphological features. The after-life of the artifact will materialize the importance of Born-Digital Datasets and helps in forming regional databases which enable researcher access. In this process of analyzing the artifacts, 3D scanning not only produces a 3D Photogrammetric view, but also reduces the efforts given for manual measurements and human errors. This project focussed on experimenting with 3D scanning of different archaeological specimens such as lithics, ceramics, vertebrate fossils and so forth. The results shed light on the typological and functional analysis of these diverse materials. The analysis has provided information on measurements, volume, mass position, surface area, and other scientific details. We also outline relevant limitations of the utilized scanner for each individual material type based on the studied specimens. Further, the use of 3D scanning can be employed to create digital visualizations, global archaeological datasets and high-resolution 3D models, which could be used as supplemental proxies for experimental archaeology as well.